Italy's Salvini Tells Richard Gere to Take Migrants On His Private Jet and Fuck Off To Hollywood

Maybe he can take a few gerbils with him as well.

LAMPEDUSA, Italy (Reuters) - Hollywood star Richard Gere on Saturday urged the Italian government to stop "demonising people" and instead help migrants who have been stranded on a Spanish charity boat in the Mediterranean for more than a week. 

Gere, who visited the Open Arms ship in a show of support on Friday, joined a news conference on the Italian island of Lampedusa to call for the 160 migrants stuck on the boat to be allowed to disembark. 

He compared the political situation in Italy, where League leader and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has repeatedly refused requests by migrant ships to dock, to that of the U.S. administration of Donald Trump. 

"We have our problems with refugees coming from Honduras, Salavador, Nicaragua, Mexico... It's very similar to what you are going through here," he said, accusing politicians in both Italy and the United States of demonising migrants. 

"This has to stop everywhere on this planet now. And it will stop if we say stop," he said, adding that he only wanted to help people and not get into a political fight. 

Salvini, who this week pushed through parliament tougher sanctions on charity ships that seek to bring migrants rescued at sea to Italy, was quick to reply. 

"Given this generous millionaire is voicing concern for the fate of the Open Arms migrants, we thank him: he can take back to Hollywood, on his private plane, all the people aboard and support them in his villas. Thank you Richard!" he said in a statement.

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